USDA Veterinary Medicine Loan Repayment Program Available for Five Designated Shortage Areas in Arka

USDA Veterinary Medicine Loan Repayment Program Available for Five Designated Shortage Areas in Arkansas

Little Rock, Ark. – The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announces $4.2 million in available funding to help eligible veterinarians repay a portion of their veterinary school loans in return for serving in areas lacking sufficient veterinary resources. Eligible applicants must have a degree of Doctor of Veterinary Medicine by July 1, 2017, and must have a minimum qualifying educational loan debt of $15,000. The deadline for application is May 26. For a full list of eligibility requirements and other details, visit: https://nifa.usda.gov/program/veterinary-medicine-loan-repayment-program

Arkansas has five designated veterinary shortage areas, as follows:

ID Code

Type

Priority

Counties

FY

AR171

2 (Private Practice)

Critical

Hempstead, Howard, Little River, Polk, Sevier

2017

AR173

2 (Private Practice)

Critical

Conway, Perry, Van Buren, Yell

2017

AR174

2 (Private Practice)

Critical

Fulton, Lawrence, Randolph, Sharp

2017

AR175

3 (Public Practice)

High

Entire State

2017

AR176

3 (Public Practice)

High

Entire State

2017

USDA’s Veterinary Medicine Loan Repayment Program (VMLRP) is authorized by the National Veterinary Medical Services Act (NVMSA). The National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) will carry out NVMSA by entering into educational loan repayment agreements with veterinarians who agree to provide veterinary services in shortage areas listed above and/or designated areas in surrounding states, for a determined period of time. If veterinarians commit to at least three years to providing services in a designated shortage area, NIFA may repay up to $25,000 of student loan debt per year.

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The Arkansas Agriculture Department offers its programs to all eligible persons regardless of race, color, national origin, sex, age or disability and is an Equal Opportunity Employer.